First off, I realize there are plenty of feature request threads on the forum, and I considered carefully if I should add another, or just post to an existing one. I decided to go ahead with this topic for a number of reasons, mainly so that I can add as many posts as I want without flooding somebody else’s topic.
Also, I am not always up to date on the features that SketchUp already has, so if any of these exist and I am just uninformed, please enlighten me.
I’ve had several ideas over the years, and as I have time to set down in plain writing what has been swirling confusedly in my brain, I will add to the thread. For now, I just have two simple ideas, one for the Warehouse, and one for SketchUp itself. Feel free to let me know what you all think, even if you tell me my idea is just plain ridiculous.
I think those who have had to populate large building projects with furniture, props, and entourage from the Warehouse will appreciate this one:
How about a “Sort by: file size” option in the warehouse? Seems like it should be easy to add, and that way, when looking for a chair that’s going to be duplicated 500 times in one office complex, we don’t have to waste time scrolling through 39,000 chairs to find the low-poly ones. Simply select “Sort by: file size, low to high” and you can see the smallest models.
I don’t know what to call it other than an “arithmetic function” when entering dimensions. So when drawing a line, I could type in 3+5 and hit Enter, and the line would be 8 inches long. Obviously that’s a simple one to do in your head, but it’s just an example; things get more complicated when you start working with 32nds of an inch.
I’m not familiar with many CAD software out there, but I have worked on Thermwood’s eCabinets, and they have this function, not just adding, but all simple arithmetic commands: adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing.
Some might argue that the challenge of doing it in the head is good, and I’ll agree, but the old saying “time is money” applies here; there are many times that this would be a useful time saver.
OK that’s great! I very occasionally use the Advanced Search, but had completely overlooked the Model Complexity part.
Thanks for telling me, I’ll use that!
Still think it would be nice to have in the Sort by dropdown…
PowerCADD also has this feature. Multiply and divide also work. You can also enter a number for one dimension, like x, and leave the y field blank, and the x dimension will be set numerically, and the y one will still follow the cursor.
I don’t look assets by file size,most important to me is If I find the exact brand and model that I want to use because at the end of the day I can handle a heavy chair creating 3 layers.
1-2D version for floor plans
2-3D chair regardless of the size and complexity
3-the dummy version or box representing the size of the chair.
On top of that you could always have an independent file only with the 500 chairs and load it when you need it.
in 3d view for fast display I would use layer 3 and when I have the view I want I use layer 2 and for floorplans only layer 1.
Good points, and I appreciate the input, but remember that everybody does not design the same way. There are different processes of getting to the finished design. With many of my clients, a live session with SketchUp open is how staging inspiration comes, and inspiration is not typically boosted by a “dummy version or box.”
I get it…I have meetings with clients with live sessions in SU as well… but again if you organize your model you don’t need to sacrifice showing a low polygon chair that doesn’t look like the chair that you want to use. you could group them by rooms and hide them when you don’t need them with layers and scenes.
If my client is a builder. They are working in the field and a little bit of imagination with SU views with low polygon chairs is enough… If my client is a corporation where they want to see “the brand” and all the elements around with very limited time to make decisions I show as close as possible what is my intentions are or if my clients are homeowners with very little idea what is “schematic” or difficulties with dimensions I go all the way as well.
